Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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3420. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there has been any progress in expanding the number of dental college places offered to students in University College Cork and Trinity College Dublin in light of the 2023 announcement by his Department to do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44017/25]

Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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3422. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if additional funding will be provided to the dental schools in University College Cork which have submitted proposals to the Department for the expansion of their training programme, which would involve the development of a new hub in which additional students could be trained and practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44022/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 3420 and 3422 together.

My officials are working closely with colleagues in the Department of Health to examine the expansion of training places in areas of acute skills shortage, including oral healthcare and dentistry.

In recognition of Ireland’s growing population my Department is actively working to support the Department of Health's workforce planning needs through the expansion of higher education provision in essential health services, including dentistry, and other healthcare professions.

Until recently, approximately 55-60 dentistry places per year were available to Irish and EU students, split between Trinity College Dublin and University College Cork. From September 2025 the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) will introduce a new Bachelor of Dental Surgery programme, adding at least 20 places annually for Irish and EEA students, a 33% increase in national capacity. RCSI is also developing proposals to add a further 15 places by 2027, subject to the necessary approvals.

My Department, the HEA and the Department of Health are engaging with UCC regarding their Dentistry provision. Among the proposals under active consideration is a new community-based dental training facility in Cork, which could support increased capacity and earlier clinical exposure for students in line with national policy. The Department is also exploring future pathways in related disciplines such as dental hygiene.

The Department of Health is undertaking a scoping project and skills assessment across the oral healthcare sector. This will help inform planning for future workforce needs in this area.

Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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3421. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the total amount of funding allocated to dental colleges in University College Cork and Trinity College Dublin for the academic years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44018/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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In considering the matters raised it is important to note that Universities, as autonomous institutions, are responsible for their own academic affairs including the curriculum and student numbers on individual courses. The costs incurred by a University in student places on a particular course, or range of courses, can vary depending on a variety factors including the type of course and the individual circumstances of the relevant provider. Meeting the costs of provision is a matter for the respective institution within the context of its overall budget.

In terms of recurrent sectoral funding supports my Department allocates recurrent grant funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA), for direct disbursement to HEA funded institutions, towards the operating costs of public HEIs, including Universities.

The annual core recurrent grant is allocated, by the HEA, to each institution using an allocation model known as the Recurrent Grant Allocation Model (RGAM). The annual core grant is allocated by the HEA to the HEIs as a block grant towards teaching, research and supporting activities. The allocation of the core grant is determined on a formula basis, based on a per-capita amount in respect of weighted eligible EU student numbers (and non-EU research) in four broad subject price groups. There are additional weightings for postgraduate and research students. Elements of the core grant are informed by access metrics and research metrics.

The internal allocation of funds between teaching, research and supporting activities is a matter for each institution. There is full institutional autonomy to deploy this block grant in the most effective manner across teaching, research and supporting activities. In this regard, it is not possible to attribute recurrent funding as provided for the purpose of dental colleges in general within either University specifically.